We Are Grounders: Commander
by TomorrowWillBeBetter
Summary: Chandra must find a way to save her friends from Mount Weather, while simultaneously trying to figure out where her alliances lie - amongst the tri kru or the sky people. Sequel to We Are Grounders: Healer. Slow burn Bellamy/OC with slight Murphy/OC
1. Mount Weather

**AN: OMG it's finally here I'm so excited. sorry for the wait, i know i promised this would be up like 3 weeks ago... oh well. **

"Chandra," Bellamy said softly, standing in front of the girl. Chandra's eyebrows furrowed as she tilted her head to the side.

"Bellamy?" Her voice came out raspy, and somehow distant. "You're alive?" Bellamy simply smiled. Chandra suddenly became aware of a putrid odor. "What's that smell?"

Bellamy smiled again, except this time his eyes filled with tears. "That's me. I'm burning." Chandra backed away in shock, noticing the flames climbing up from Bellamy's feet, inching their way higher. "Chandra, that smell… that's my flesh, sizzling away in the flames." His face began contorting from the pleasant smile into a furious, pained expression as the flames reached his shoulders. "You let me burn!"

"No!" Chandra screamed, pressing her hands to her ears. She shut her eyes, but she still saw him clear as day. "I tried to save you!"

"No!" Bellamy roared. "You didn't! You just stood there. You did this to me!" Chandra screamed at the top of her lungs. "You did this to me! You did this to me!" Bellamy continued to repeat the same thing as the flames completely engulfed him.

Suddenly everything went completely silent. The sound of Chandra's heavy breathing was the only sound in the dark space.

"I did this to you," she breathed, her voice extremely loud compared to the deafening silence.

Candra flinched as she opened her eyes. White. The stark shade stung her eyes and she blinked rapidly. She'd never seen this shade of white before. It was whiter than snow, whiter than old hair. It was unnatural and overwhelming. She realized she was laying down on some sort of bed, but it was softer than anything she'd ever experienced. There were tubes attached to her wrist, which she yanked out instantly. She sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She was wearing a white tank top and matching white pants. They were as white as the walls.

She gasped as she remembered the mountain men. She was at Mount Weather.

She nearly screamed when the door opened. A person, wearing a bright blue covering with a helmet obscuring their face walked in with some sort of rolling cupboard.

"Ah, Charlie, you're awake," they said, their voice muffled through the helmet. They seemed to be female. "I was just coming in to release you." Chandra raised her eyebrows at the strange name the person just called her, but didn't say anything. She rolled the cupboard over to Chandra, and pulled it open. "Choose whatever you want to wear. I'll be waiting outside."

"Wait," Chandra called. "Where are my friends?"

"You'll see them soon, I promise. For now, just put on some comfortable clothes."

Chandra watched her leave before rummaging through the little closet. They seemed to pose no threat at the moment and she'd figure out what to do once she was reunited with Clarke. She decided on a simple dark grey long sleeved sweater and blue jeans, pulling on the simple dark brown combat boots. As the girl had promised, she was waiting outside.

"Okay, follow me," she directed. Chandra did, and the girl led her to a door. She slid a card against the wall, and the doors opened to reveal an elevator. Chandra felt uncomfortable being in an enclosed space with a stranger, but the girl was quite small, about the same height and size as Chandra, so she decided if it came to it, she could fight her way out. The girl pressed a button labeled "5" and the elevator started moving upwards.

"I'm afraid I'll have to drop you off and get back to work," she said. "Your friends should be just outside the doors." Chandra ignored her and took in every detail she could, looking for every escape route. There was a vent in the ceiling, and by jumping on the railings lining the walls, she could reach it and- the doors opened just then, and Chandra brushed past the girl. She heard chattering and forks scraping plates as soon as she stepped out. She looked to her right, and her heart swelled with relief as she saw everyone who made it onto the dropship. They were healthy, happy, and eating food. She saw Harper, Luke, Cierra-

"Jasper!" Chandra gasped as she spotted him. She wasted no time sprinting to him and jumping into his arms. He gripped her just as tight, spinning her around once before setting her down.

"Oh, thank God," he whispered into her hair.

"Monty?" Chandra breathed. She hugged him too. "I can't believe it. You were here the whole time?" Monty nodded.

"Chan-I mean, Charlie," Jasper stuttered. Chandra furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Why are you calling me Charlie?" Chandra whispered. Jasper glanced around, making sure no one was listening.

"We weren't sure if this place was completely safe yet," Jasper muttered, "so we gave you a sky person name. We didn't know how they'd react to knowing you were a grounder. They think you're a sky person right now. But now that we know we're safe I can-"

"No!" Chandra hissed. "Mount Weather is not what it seems. They can't know I'm a grounder." Jasper looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean-"

"I'll explain once Clarke gets here," she reassured. "First let's sit down so we don't look suspicious." Jasper nodded, leading her to a table. "Where is Clarke, anyway?"

Jasper looked around, and shrugged. "I don't know. She should be somewhere around here." Chandra glanced around, too.

"How many of us are there?"

"Forty-eight," Monty replied. "Not including you." Chandra nodded as Jasper bit into his pie.

"Oh, God," he moaned, and Chandra tensed. Had he been poisoned? "You have got to try this pie." She relaxed, but her heart was still pounding. Monty reached across the table, scooping a forkful into his mouth.

"Oh, my God," he gasped. "What is that?"

"I don't know," Jasper said. "But it's great." He eyed Monty's cake. "My turn."

"What, this?" Monty shook his head. "No, you won't like this. The pie's way better."

Chandra allowed herself to let out a laugh as Jasper narrowed his eyes. "Really?" Jasper tried to stick his fork into Monty's pie, but Monty pulled his plate away. He tried again, only to get the same result. Chandra's smile slipped off her face when they stood up, catching the attention of the President.

"Guys," she hissed. Her eyes widened as a familiar face walked up beside her. "Clarke?" Chandra stood up, wrapping her arms around the blonde.

"Call me 'Charlie'," she hissed into her ear before pulling away. Clarke raised her eyebrows, but Chandra grinned back. "I'll explain. First, sit down and look happy to see me."

"Laugh and act like I'm saying something funny," Chandra ordered with a fake smile. Jasper, Monty, and Clarke all laughed, and Chandra admired their acting skills.

"So," she said, a smile still plastered on her face. "Grounders have been disappearing for decades all because of mountain men." Jasper's eyes widened and Chandra kicked him from under the table. He faked a laugh, though it sounded a little pained. "We don't know what they're doing to them, just that we never see them again. They seem to be treating you guys just fine though, so maybe you guys are safe. For how long, I don't know. But they can _not_ know that I'm a grounder. Make sure every other sky person knows."

Clarke smiled. "I think this place is pretty suspicious too." She pulled out a pamphlet. "Look, they gave us a map with no exits. I need you to tell me everything you've seen. Every room, every hallway, every way out." Jasper and Monty shared a glance.

"Way out?" Jasper asked. "Look around you, Clarke. There's no one hunting us here. The first time in our lives, we're not hungry. Why would we want to leave?"

"Because we have friends out there who need our help."

"They're looking for survivors," Jasper countered Clarke's point. "They're way better equipped to find them than we are."

"This place is too good to be true." Jasper rolled his eyes, mumbling something about Clarke making him feel 'bummed out' before leaving for more cake. Chandra turned to Clarke.

"Clarke," she whispered. "You are safe here. They're bound to find out that I'm not one of you any second now. Leave the investigating up to me, I'll figure it out." Clarke stared at her incredulously.

"Why do I feel like you just want the spotlight?" Chandra's jaw dropped, and she watched Clarke storm away. She caught the President looking in her direction and she snapped her mouth shut, gripping Monty's pamphlet. She glared into it, not really reading anything. She jumped as yellow light started flashing.

"Alert," and mechanical female voice said. "Code 5." Maya ran past her, Jasper following. She tossed the pamphlet onto the table, sighing as she sprinted after them. They ran through hallways and into an elevator. It almost closed, but at the last second, Chandra stuck her arm between the doors, forcing it open. She slid inside beside Jasper, and Maya stared at her.

"I'm probably the only person here that knows how to control Clarke when she's in escape mode," Chandra explained. Maya still didn't move. "Stop wasting time!" She jumped at Chandra's yell, pressing buttons. The doors closed.

When they opened, Chandra was the first off the elevator. Jasper was right behind her, and Maya followed last.

"There's an evacuation route just ahead," Maya yelled over the sirens. "That's probably where she is." Chandra kept running straight, and Maya continued to talk between pants. "If she opens the door, radiation will seep in and we will all die."

As Maya had said earlier, Clarke was near an emergency evacuation exit, Chandra found her with her hands on a lever, preparing to pull it down and open the door.

"Clarke," Jasper called. "No!" The blonde spun around, her eyes wide. "If you open that door, they'll all die. Even a little bit of radiation can kill them." Maya disappeared for a moment, returning with a gun.

"Don't make me shoot you," she wanted, aiming it at Clarke. Chandra stepped in front of her.

"Put the gun down," she snarled. "I'll handle it." She waited until Maya lowered the gun before facing Clarke.

"Don't do this," Chandra said to her.

"I don't believe them," Clarke growled back.

"Me neither," Chandra said. "But right now, we are safe because of you. We're safe."

Clarke shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "Not all of us." Chandra found her own lower lip trembling.

"Bellamy and Finn are dead," she whispered. Admitting it out loud made it more official and Chandra almost didn't want to utter the words. "I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. But when you pulled that lever, you saved lives. Don't throw it away by pulling this one." A tear slipped down Clarke's cheek, and she finally took her hand off the lever.

"There she is!" Men with guns rushed in, pointing the at Clarke. "Hold it right there! Get your hands up!" The three of them put their hands up, but the guards went straight to Clarke, tackling her to the ground. They dragged her away, and once they were gone, Chandra wiped frantically at the tears that'd escaped.

"Let's head back," Maya suggested, her voice shaking. Chandra nodded, meeting Jasper's eyes. He looked shaken up, his eyes red-rimmed. She offered him a small smile, which he didn't return. The two followed Maya back to the elevators silently, and she dropped them off at level 5. Jasper led Chandra to what seemed to be their sleeping quarters.

"There's, uh," he mumbled. "There's an empty bunk right there." He pointed to a top level bunk near the middle of the right side of the room and Chandra's nodded.

"Where's your bunk?" She asked. He led her to it, before flopping down. Chandra took a seat at his feet.

"I'm worried about Clarke," he admitted after a moment of silence. Chandra nodded. "She's going crazy."

"I know it's not really her fault," Chandra muttered, "but she acts like she's the only one who lost friends. We all lost friends." Jasper ran a hand through his hair, falling back against his pillow. She sighed, crawling up and laying down beside him. He turned on his side, facing her and she did the same. She pulled the blanket over them both.

"Jasper, I'm going to find out what happened to the grounders that got captured by these people. I have a plan." she whispered to him. Jasper sighed heavily. "But for me to do that without everything going bad, I need you to make sure Clarke doesn't do anything stupid."

"That's not as easy as it sounds," Jasper whispered back.

"I know," Chandra breathed. "But I think you can handle it." Jasper closed his eyes, rolling onto his back.

"I wanna take a nap," he said. Chandra laughed.

"Now that I think about it," she admitted, "me too." She rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her. He pulled the blanket up to her chin, and within minutes, both were fast asleep.

Chandra cracked an eye open hours later when she heard the shuffling of feet. She sat up, letting out a yawn as she watched everyone leaving the dorm.

"Where is everyone going?" she croaked out to the nearest person, her voice thick with sleep. She rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her vision.

"It's dinner time," the girl replied, pulling on her shoes before she, too, exited the room. Chandra stretched her arms up above her, poking Jasper in the face.

"Jasper, wake up," she urged. He remained asleep, so she grabbed his shoulder and shook. He simply snorted, rolling over.

"Jasper," she repeated, louder. She smacked him repeatedly in the chest. No response.

"Jasper, I brought you cake!" The boy jumped awake.

"Wha- cake?" Chandra raised her eyebrow, not impressed at all.

"No. It's dinner time." She hopped out of bed, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him up too. "I can't stand you sometimes."

"Then sit down." Chandra slapped him in the chest and he jumped. "Ow!" She laughed as they entered the dining room.

"Don't try to act smart with me." Everyone was already sitting, waiting for the President to arrive. Clarke was sitting across Monty. Chandra took a seat beside Clarke, and Jasper sat beside Monty. Clarke smiled at Chandra, and Chandra returned it.

"Why didn't you two wake us up?" Chandra asked. Monty shrugged.

"Clarke was going to, but you two looked so cute."

"I'm not cute," Chandra denied, crossing her arms. "I'm a warrior and I could beat your ass. I could beat anyone's ass. I'll beat my own ass." The four burst out laughing, silencing themselves when the President walked in. Everyone watched in silence as he stood at the front table. Everyone else stood as well, and the 49 followed their leads. They imitated the way they held hands with the two people beside them as well.

"For the past and future we serve," Dante started

"We give thanks," the people finished.

"Good health, good food, and good company…" He looked up at the 49. "And the blessing of new friends…"

"We give thanks." Music began playing as he sat down, and everyone followed. Food was placed in front of everyone, and people dug in instantly.

"That was endearing," Chandra observed. She caught Clarke's smile, and inwardly sighed in relief. She was finally warming up to these people. She wouldn't get in Chandra's way.

The next morning, Chandra woke early. She was surprised to see Clarke in the bunk next to her, already awake.

"Why are you up so early?" she asked. Clarke smiled at her.

"Just annotating this map," Clarke explained. Chandra bit her lip.

"Why?" Clarke sighed.

"I still don't trust these people," she disclosed. "I just want to make sure I can help my people escape if it comes to it."

"Your efforts to escape are only gonna put your people in harms way," Chandra gritted out, "You think you're helping them but you're not."

"What would you know about leadership?" Chandra blinked in surprised at Clarke's outburst. "You've only been with us for a few weeks. You don't know better than I do." By now more people were awake, and it was obvious they were trying not to listen in to their conversation.

"You're right," Chandra said, nodding. She jumped down from her bunk, sarcastically saluting to Clarke. "You always know best, oh wise leader." She curled her lip, walking towards the door to head down to breakfast. As she reached the doors though, they opened, and Maya and Miller walked in.

"Miller," Chandra smiled. "Look who finally got released."

"Chandra," Miller greeted, and Chandra's heart stopped. She glanced at Maya, whose eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

"I'm gonna head down to breakfast," Chandra said quickly, shoving past the two. Her heart pounded.

_I guess my plan is gonna go into motion quicker than I planned._ Instead of taking the route to the dining room, she headed a different way, making a beeline towards Dante's office. She'd memorized the map, so she knew exactly where it was. She walked in without knocking.

"Ah, Charlie," he greeted, his suit coat halfway up his arms. "I was just heading down to breakfast. Would you like to join me?"

"Where are my people?" She cut straight to the point. Dante looked genuinely confused.

"Are they not in the dorm? Maybe they're at breakfast-"

"No, I mean _my people_. The people you kidnap from their villages, the people that keep disappearing at your hands. _Where are they?_" Dante raised his eyebrows.

"Are you not a sky person?" Chandra shook her head.

"Stop avoiding the question," she snapped, her voice cracking. "Where are they?" Dante looked away, buttoning up his coat.

"I have no idea," he answered finally. "But we can talk after breakfast. Why don't you head down right now? I'll be there in just a minute." Chandra clenched her jaw.

"Fine," she ground out. "But I will get answers." She stormed out of his office, her mind swirling with thoughts.

Why hadn't he reacted to her being a grounder? She ran a hand down her face as she walked down the long, dark hallways.

She spun around when she heard heavy footsteps behind her. A guard had his gun pointed at her. She gasped, kicking it out of his hands before punching him in the jaw. Another guard appeared, this time with a baton. He smacked her across the face with it, and she landed on the floor. She spit out a mouthful of blood, trying to stand up. Two more guards rushed in. One put his foot on her head, crushing it against the floor, and two more held her feet down. She felt a sharp prick in her neck, and everything went black.

She jumped awake, groaning as she felt the ache in her body. She tried to stretch, but a barrier blocked her. She suddenly became aware of her surroundings. She was in a small cage, wearing close to nothing. She was wearing dirty white sports bra and shorts the same color.

"You're awake," someone observed from beside her. She recognized that voice.

"Anya," Chandra breathed in disbelief. "What is this?"

Anya smirked, looking away. Chandra followed her gaze. Her blood ran cold at the sight. People were hung upside down, tubes running from their bodies to a machine between them.

"Don't you already know?" Anya asked. "You're in Mount Weather."


	2. Prison Break

**_AN: I think I made you guys wait long enough._**

_"__Don't you already know?" Anya asked. "You're in Mount Weather."_

Chandra struggled to breathe, grabbing the metal bars of the cage. Her eyes seemed to be stuck on the hanging bodies. "What are they doing to them?"

"Draining them of blood," Anya answered simply. "In a few hours they'll be dead, and they'll choose one of us to replace them." Chandra gritted her teeth, rattling the bars.

"I have to get out of here," she said hoarsely. She kicked and screamed. "Let me out of here!"

"I wouldn't do that," Anya advised, sounding almost bored. "They take the strongest first." Chandra stopped struggling after that. She panted, trying to catch her breath.

She turned to Anya, eyeing the way she looked so relaxed. "Why aren't you even trying to escape?"

Anya scowled at her. "You think I haven't? There's no way out. We're going to die here." It was silent after that. Chandra calmed down enough to start examining her surroundings. It smelled horrible; the cages were lined with feces and urine. A few people rocked back and forth in their cages, obviously losing their sanity. Chandra swallowed, fearing that that was her future. Many people simply sat, staring blankly ahead of them. They scared Chandra the most. They were alive, yet dead at the same time. Empty shells. She would glance at Anya every few moments. She seemed to have given up. Her expression screamed exhaustion, not just physically but emotionally. Chandra almost smiled when she thought about how much of a fight Anya would have put up. The tree people admired her for her strength and her fire. She was the bravest, the strongest. And seeing her look so... _broken_ was hard. Chandra had seen Anya without her clothes but this was the most naked she'd ever seen her. It felt wrong.

"You know," Anya started, catching Chandra's attention. "I think I loved you. Hell, I still do." Chandra stared at her wide eyed. When she didn't reply, Anya went on. "And then after what you did, I hated myself. I hated myself _so much_. I hated that I let a traitor into my house, into my bed, into my heart. After that, I hated you. _Gods _did I hate you. That didn't last long though. After sleepless nights alone I… I just missed you. I wanted you back. But it was too late." Chandra sighed, looking away.

"Why are you telling me this?" She croaked.

"I don't want you to die thinking I hate you. And I don't want to die never having told you how I feel."

"Anya," Chandra snapped, suddenly angry. "We're _not_ going to die here. It's not just us versus Mount Weather anymore. There's a new player. The Sky People. And they'll figure something out."

Anya laughed bitterly. "You put too much faith in them."

"Faith is all we have right now."

Hours ticked by painfully slowly without further conversation between the two. A female doctor would make trips every hour or so, checking on us and scribbling down who knows what onto her clipboard. The sound of the pen scratching along the paper stabbed at her ears. The sound of water dripping steadily from somewhere within the room was making her twitch. Each dull beep of the machine hooked up to the two hanging bodies felt like a blow to the stomach. Every moan of the caged people reverberated through her mind, echoing deep within her soul.

Everything changed when Clarke showed up.

A metallic clang caused everyone to jump. The vent in the far corner of the room had fallen off. Chandra furrowed her eyebrows, trying to get a good look at it. Her jaw dropped when a familiar blonde climbed out of the vent. People began letting out pathetic grunts, trying to get her attention, hoping that'd she'd free them. Clarke looked around in horror, walking through the rows of cages, dodging the hands reaching out for her.

"Clarke," Chandra gasped, catching the girl's attention. Clarke crouched down, mouth falling open at the sight of her friend.

"Chandra?" Her eye's flickered to the right, and widened. "Anya?"

"Clarke!" Chandra repeated. "We don't have time for this. Just get our cages open before the doctor comes back." Clarke nodded, running off to find something to break the locks with. She came back with a small pipe. She stuck it in the curve of the lock, bending it until it broke. She repeated the process with Anya's cage, grunting at the exertion. Chandra began crawling out of her cage as Clarke helped Anya out of hers, but the beep of the door being opened forced them back. Chandra closed her door, and Clarke climbed in with Anya, shutting the cage door right as the doctor strolled in. Chandra closed her eyes, willing her heart to stop pounding as the doctor went to the containers holding the blood bags. The people in the cages started moaning, and banging against their bars more than usual, catching her attention. She walked over, coming closer and closer to her cage. Chandra realized the lock from Anya's door was in the middle of the floor, in plain sight. She met Clarke's eyes, which mirrored the panic that Chandra was feeling. Suddenly, a few of the grounders tried to grab onto the doctor, startling her enough to retreat. She quickly exited the room, and Chandra almost cried out in relief. The moment the door closed, Chandra jumped into action. She slid out of her cage, watchng as Clarke helped Anya walk towards another door. Chandra pulled it open, letting Clarke and Anya enter before she did. The door shut quickly behind them. Chandra tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

An alarm started blaring, accompanied by flashing yellow lights.

"What is that?" Anya asked, breathlessly.

"I don't know," Clarke breathed back. The three screamed as the floor fell out from under them. They landed on something lumpy, and Chandra's breathing grew heavy and panicked as she realized what it was.

"Oh, my God," Clarke screamed. "Oh, my God!" Chandra looked over at Anya, who was cradling the head of someone she recognized; one of her warriors.

"Anya," Clarke cried. "Take my hand!" Anya, weak and out of options, did as she said. Chandra didn't have much trouble pulling herself out of the cart they'd fallen in.

"We're out," Chandra breathed. Clarke spotted something, crouching down.

"Hey," she said, holding up the items piled on the ground-clothes. "Get dressed. We can't cover any ground like this." Anya was still grabbing the side of the cart, breathing heavily.

"I won't leave my people behind." There she was. The strong, brave, and _stubborn_ Anya that Chandra knew so well.

"Anya," Clarke called. "Listen to me. My people are still inside that place too, but they have guards. They have weapons. Once we get out of here, we can find help. We can come back." Anya shrugged away from her.

"There is no we," she spat. She looked up at the sound of someone approaching. "Someone's coming." Chandra recognized their loud voices and growls.

"Not just someone," she swallowed. "Reapers." Anya stood up, getting into a fighting stance. "Hey, you can't fight. You can barely stand."

"I got a better idea," Clarke interjected. She grabbed Anya, helping her into the other cart. Chandra jumped in after her, and Clarke threw a bunch of clothes in before hopping in herself. The three laid down, playing dead. The reapers walked past them, not giving them a second glance. When the coast seemed to be clear, Chandra lifted her head, but threw it back down when a body was thrown into the cart. It landed on top of her, and she tried not to cry out. Another was thrown in, and another. Chandra bit her lip, drawing blood. She felt like she was going to throw up.

The cart started moving. When it finally stopped, a couple of the bodies were lifted up, leaving just one. Chandra waited for Clarke's orders before making a move. Clarke peeked over the edge of the cart before looking back at Anya and Chandra.

"Okay," she breathed. "Let's go." Chandra followed her out of the cart, turning back to help Anya out. Anya, however, was cradling the last body's head in her hands. Chandra caught the slight rise and fall of his chest and realized with a jolt that he was still alive.

"What are you doing?" Clarke hissed. "Let's go!" Anya ignored her.

"_Your fight is over_," she whispered in Trigedasleng, before snapping his neck in one swift movement. She looked up at Clarke, nodding before she climbed out of the cart. Chandra grabbed the clothes from the cart before sprinting after Clarke and Anya.

Once they were far enough away from the Reapers, they began frantically dressing.

"C'mon," Clarke ordered as they finished pulling on the clothes. "This way."

"Dammit," Chandra cursed. "This place is a maze."

"What are they doing with our blood?" Anya coughed.

"They use it to heal themselves somehow," Clarke explained. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Hey, hey," Chandra hissed as Anya started running in the opposite direction. "What are you doing? That's the way back to the Reapers."

"You go your way," Anya panted, "I'll go mine."

"Anya, we need to stick together," Clarke insisted.

"I told you there is not we!"

"I saved your life," Clarke said.

"You saved my life because you need me," Anya shot back. Clarke was silenced. "I know the way back to your people. I know where the traps are hidden. You'd never make it alone."

"So does Chandra," Clarke retorted, walking away, Chandra following her. "I could have just taken her. We don't have time for this. Our best chance of making it out of here alive is if we all stick together. All we can do it keep moving and hope-"

"Clarke," Chandra hissed, noticing that Anya wasn't following them. In fact, she was nowhere to be seen. "She's gone."

"Anya!" Clarke whispered, jogging back a few feet. "Anya!"

"Whatever," she muttered. "Let's leave without her." Chandra was split in half. She knew the way Anya was going would only get her killed. She gave one last glance backwards before she followed Clarke.

The two ran as fast as they could, trying to navigate the tunnels.

"Clarke stop," Chandra panted. "We already passed this. We're going in circles."

"Fine," Clarke gasped, out of breath. "Let's turn right instead of left." As they made a right, a Reaper appeared, They turned around, trying to make a left, but two more Reapers emerged. All of their escape routes were blocked as they were backed up against a wall.

"No," Clarke was mumbling. "No, no, no no no…" Suddenly a loud, high-pitched tone filled the air. Instantly, the grounders fell to their knees, covering their ears. Chandra's heart fell as Mount Weather guards rushed in.

"Clarke Griffin and Charlie Thindrel, you're coming with us!" One of them barked. Chandra closed her eyes, letting the guards grab her arms and lead her back. She was just going to end up back in the cage again, and this time Clarke wouldn't be able to get her out.

"I saw everything," Clarke tried as we approached the door. "I know what you're doing to them."

"That's why you're going in the harvest chamber with them," he replied, speaking into the intercom. "Alpha-Delta Two, we've reached the intake. Two prisoners are in custody."

"You mission was to bring back all of them," a man on the speaker replied. "The outsider cannot be allowed to leave this mountain. Alpha-Delta One coming out now." Whatever was about to happen never ended up happening, because a loud scream came from behind them. Anya jumped on the Guards, knocking two of them to the ground. Chandra punched another one, and Clarke got the last one.

"Their masks!" Clarke called. Chandra pulled off the masks from the guards, and they screamed as their skin bubbled from the radiation.

"I found a way out," Anya said, running off. "This way!" Chandra ran after her immediately, but Clarke bent down to pick up a gun before following Anya and Chandra. The doors opened behind them, and more guards began chasing them.

They came to a stop at what seemed to be a dam.

"There has to be another way," Clarke yelled over the sound of rushing water.

"There isn't," Anya replied.

"Just give up," the guards said as they approached them. "You have no place else to go." Anya met Chandra's eyes briefly, and Chandra knew exactly what she was about to do.

"Anya!" She cried, but it was too late. She jumped off the edge, falling straight into the water.

"We don't have to kill you," the guard was saying. "Do you hear me?" Chandra wasn't really paying attention. Instead, she was looking over the edge, contemplating if she would survive. Chances were she wasn't, but she was going to die either way.

"Just surrender!" Clarke dropped the gun, putting her hands up. Chandra held her hands up, too. Clarke and Chandra met eyes. Chandra smirked. Clarke grinned back.

And they were flying.

When they hit the water, they were quickly separated.

"Clarke!" Chandra cried out, getting pulled away with the current. She tried to swim against it, but the harder she tried, the faster she was dragged away.

"Chandra!" Clarke's voice sounded distant, getting even more distant by the second. Chandra's head slipped under the water, and she held her breath until her head broke the surface again. She gasped for breath, but was dragged under again quickly. She flailed, trying to find something to hold onto. She was dragged deeper and deeper into the water. She couldn't tell which way was up and which way was down. Her lungs burned. She needed air. She tried to breathe, but swallowed a mouthful of water. It was getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open. Her head pounded, and her vision went blurry.

She was so tired… her bones ached…

Darkness finally consumed her.

_**AN: Don't forget to review!**_


	3. Artigas

**AN: I know it's been so long omg sorry**

The first thing Chandra did as she floated back into consciousness was replay the last moments before she passed out. She had been drowning. She thought she was going to die. The next thing she did was notice how her clothes weren't as wet as she thought they should fact, they were barely damp. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but enough had passed for her clothes to dry. Her head was reeling; she had a terrible case of vertigo. Everything seemed to be swaying at a steady pace; left, right, left, right-

Hold on. Everything actually was swaying. Chandra recognized the feeling of two arms holding her, one under her back and the other under her knees. Her head was rested against the person's shoulder. Her eyes snapped open, landing on the fur covered chest of whoever was carrying her. She didn't hesitate to start thrashing, startling the person enough until they dropped her. She landed on the ground, rolling away until she was at a safe distance and jumping into a crouched position, ready to pounce at any second. She narrowed her eyes, noticing that it was a boy. A young boy, maybe around the same age as her. She gasped, her defensive stance faltering as she stood up. Her jaw dropped, and she scoffed in disbelief. She recognized those doe eyes and tan skin.

"Good to see you're awake, Chandra," he said in Trigadesleng, a nervous smile on his lips.

"Artigas," Chandra breathed. Artigas smiled, spreading out his arms. Chandra let out a laugh, sprinting forward and launching herself into his welcoming arms. She sighed, melting into the embrace, reveling in the feeling of her old friend's arms wrapped tightly around her. She pressed her face into his chest, inhaling his cozy scent as he tucked her head under his chin. She let a soft smile spread across her face. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe. She knew that she couldn't stay in the cocoon of Artigas' warmth forever, no matter how much she wanted to. She reluctantly pulled away, keeping him at an arm's distance.

"I've missed you so much," Artigas grinned.

"Care to explain why you were carrying me?" Chandra raised an eyebrow. "And a better question- where to, exactly?"

"I found you washed up on the shore next to the river when I was on fishing duty," he explained. "I barely recognized you, covered in all those bruises and cuts. I was gonna leave you there cause I didn't know who you were." Chandra looked offended. "But I recognized you! So it's all good." Chanda rolled her eyes.

"And where were you taking me?"

"Back to my village." Chandra let out a laugh, but Artigas' sharp, angular eyes showed no hint of humor.

"You can't be serious," she scoffed. "They'll have me killed."

"I was just gonna sneak you in for a while, until you got better," he defended. "No one would have to know."

"Well, that won't be necessary," Chandra sighed. "I'm better."

"You almost drowned," Artigas retorted, eyebrows raised.

"So?" Artigas looked at her exasperatedly. She ignored it. "Point is, I can't go back with you. Besides, I need to find the rest of the sky people."

"And how exactly do you expect to do that?" Artigas crossed his arms. Chandra squared her jaw.

"I'll start by going back to their camp."

"You and I both know that camp is deserted."

"Well, it's a start," she snapped, her anger flaring. Artigas didn't respond, instead pressing his lips together tightly. Chandra groaned, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips.

"Sorry," she apologized. Chandra didn't know what had gotten into her ever since she'd woken up in Mount Weather. She noticed that she seemed to jump at the smallest noises, and lashed out at the most simplest things. She was constantly on edge and jumpy. Guilt followed her everywhere she went.

"So," Chandra started after a pregnant pause. "They upgrade you from a scout yet?" Artigas breathed a laugh, and the heaviness was gone from the air.

"No, not yet," he said, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Chandra demanded. "You've been training for over 2 years now! You started just a couple months before I left."

Artigas shrugged. "Beats me." Chandra smiled.

"I love what you've done with your hair, by the way," she commented, reaching up and twirling one of the many raven black braids between her fingertips. "Looks better like this than when you had it in that colossal mane." Artigas slapped her hand away and Chandra held it to her chest.

"I'll have you know my mane was my heart and soul," he boasted. "I braided it down so it wouldn't get in my face during battle. Which you should probably do, you're swimming in your hair." Chandra laughed, running a hand through her soot-colored strands. Their natural shine was dulled by dirt and grease, and Chandra inwardly curled her lip in disgust.

"Braid mine for me," she suggested, grinning from ear to ear. Artigas laughed, his eyes crinkling.

"Sure, why not." He sat down on a fallen over log, and Chandra giddily skipped over, taking a seat on the ground in front of him. Chandra hummed as she felt his hands running through the coils of her hair.

"I feel like a little girl again," she mumbled, closing her eyes. "Like I'm getting ready for training and my mother's braiding my hair, telling me stories about the sky people."

"First of all," Artigas began. "I don't know if I should be flattered or offended that you basically just said that I remind you of your mother."

Chandra rolled her eyes. "And second of all?"

"Second of all, I miss you." Chandra smiled sadly. "Please come back with me." Chandra didn't respond at first. "Done." Artigas' hands disappeared from her hair and she stood up, dusting off her clothes.

"Artigas," she sighed, facing him. "You know I can't. I'd-"

"You'd be killed, I know," he finished bitterly. "I just wish it wasn't that way."

"Me too," she whispered, her bottom lip trembling. She glanced up at the sky, noticing that the sun was high in the sky.

"I should get going," she said. "And so should you, you don't wanna be out after dark. Your village is far from here, it'll take you half the day to get there.." Artigas set his jaw, and Chandra knew he was as close to crying as she was.

"So this is where we say goodbye."

Chandra nodded, biting her lower lip. Artigas took her by surprise, attacking her in an embrace. Chandra didn't hesitate to return it, wrapping her arms so tightly around him it almost hurt.

"We will meet again," he whispered fiercely into her hair. Chandra nodded against his chest.

"Of course we will," she laughed despite the tears swimming in her eyes. Artigas pulled away, giving her a firm nod and a wry smile. Chandra tried her best to return it. Artigas gave her one last fleeting glance over his shoulder before disappearing into the woods. Chandra waited until he was gone before letting herself cry. She snivelled, covering her face with her hands. She recovered quickly, however, because she had a mission.

Get to the dropship.

A rustle to her left caught Chandra's attention, and she immediately crouched down. Was it the Mountain Men? She narrowed her eyes, trying to see in the haziness of the dawn. She was so close to the dropship, just an hours walk left. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of something stark white.

It was the Mountain Men. She wasted no time, shooting up and taking off into the woods. She heard heavy footsteps behind her. There was only one person, by the sound of it. Why had they taken so long to find her?

Clarke and Anya. They were probably busy looking for them.

The person following her was slowed down by their suit, giving Chandra the advantage. She outran them in mere minutes, and soon the footsteps were gone.

She stopped, catching her breath.

How had they found her? She pressed her hands to her forehead, but something on the inside of her forearm caught her attention. A small incision. She frowned. It was much to precise, meaning it was done surgically. She didn't remember getting it either.

The Mountain Men. They were tracking her. She frantically poked around her forearm, until she felt a small bump. There was something implanted in her. Whatever it was, she knew they were using it to track her. She searched the area around her for something to dig it out with, but came up with nothing. In a split second decision, she dug her teeth into her forearm, pulling out the small metallic chip. She spit it out, along with a small piece of her flesh and a mouthful of blood. She wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her jacket, her nose scrunching up at the odd taste of blood. As for her scent, she would need to cover that up too. The Mountain Men for sure had animals that could track her by her scent, and that was the last thing she needed.

She spotted a small puddle of mud and she jumped into action, taking handfuls and caking it onto her face and arms. She was glad her hair was in braids, because it wouldn't fall out and leave a trail.

She stood up, feeling the mud already drying onto her skin.

Chandra almost cried out in joy as she ran through the gates of the camp. The wall had been partly demolished, but was still up for the most part. She felt the sudden urge to cry as her eyes scanned the abandoned camp.

"Chandra?" Chandra spun around, her her stopping as she saw who had stepped off of the dropship.

"Bellamy?" Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper.

"Chandra," Bellamy sighed, his face relaxing in relief. "Oh, my God, you're alive." Chandra's eyes burned.

"Yes," she whispered. She felt herself moving, her feet pushing her forward, catapulting her into Bellamy's arms.

"I can't believe you're okay," she cried into his shoulder.

"Me?" He asked, pulling away. "I'm not okay." Chandra's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Don't you remember?"

Chandra stumbled back in disbelief. "No... I-"

"You left me to burn. Remember that?" Chandra clasped her hands over her ears, shutting her eyes shut. She felt his hands grab her jacket and shake her vigorously. Bellamy was yelling, his words twisted with agony and betrayal, growing louder and louder. Even with her hands blocking her hearing, she could hear his voice clear as day.

"You're not real," she muttered, trying to block him out. Her breathing was heavy.

"You're not real!" And she was right. She heard the flapping of wings as birds in nearby trees startled and flew away. She waited until the echo of her scream faded away to open her eyes. When she did, he was gone. Chandra squared her jaw, willing herself not to have a break down. Bellamy was dead, and she would have to get over it. What she needed to do right now was look for clues as to where the rest of the sky people would be, whether it be survivors from the Ark crash or survivors of the battle.

Her first step was to search the inside of the dropship. As she expected, it came up fruitless. In fact, the dropship had been stripped bare. There were no wires, no scrap pieces of metal, nothing. Someone had scavenged every last bit of material that could be useful. Grounders, maybe. A small flicker of hope told her that it might have been sky people, as well, who took the supplies to their new camp.

Chandra sighed, stepping off of the dropship. She decided to do one last sweep of the camp.

She narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of something scratched into the side of the dropship. She moved in for a closer look, gasping in joy as she read it.

_CLARKE,_

_PLEASE COME HOME._

_22KM SOUTH/SW_

_-MOM_

Chandra almost laughed out of pure relief, tracing the letters with her bloodied finger. Abby Griffin, Clarke's mother, left her this note. Directions, Chandra presumed, to where the rest of the sky people had settled once the Ark had come down to Earth.

She made it. It took her the entire day, but she made it. It was past dawn again, but the sun was still freshly risen. She sighed in relief, her exhausted legs barely keeping her up as she stumbled towards the gates.

"Grounder!" Somebody screamed, and Chandra yelped as a bullet whistled past her ear. More followed, one grazing her upper arm, and she threw herself to the ground to avoid being shot. She heard the gates being opened and a handful of footsteps rushing towards her. A pair stopped in front of her, grabbing her by her braids and dragging her up. They didn't give her a chance to speak, whipping her in the face with a gun. She collapsed on the ground, but she was pulled up by her arms. Black spots danced across her vision, and she struggled to stay conscious. She was being dragged forward and into the camp.

"Abby," someone was saying. "Do you recognize her?"

"No, she's not one of the 100. This is a grounder. Take her into custody." She was being dragged, again, but this time the people gripped her arms tighter and jostled her around roughly. She was carried into a tent of some sort, and the next thing she knew, her arms and feet were being tied up to opposite walls.

Unconsciousness finally overtook her.

She jolted awake as water was splashed on her face. Someone was standing in front of her, a blonde woman with a stern expression and a uniform. Another man in uniform stood behind her. She was also stripped down, wearing only the dirty white undergarments that she had been forced into at Mount Weather.

"Stay awake," she barked. "Now answer me, how many of you are there?"

Chandra tried to make her tongue form words, but her head was still reeling.

"Are your people planning to attack?"

"I don't know," Chandra gasped.

"Wrong answer," she growled. From a belt on her hip, she pulled out a knife. She dug it into Chandra's exposed stomach, dragging it upwards to her ribs and slicing the taut skin.

"What are your people planning?"

"I don't know," Chandra ground out. Again, the knife slid across her skin. Chandra clenched her teeth, willing herself not to scream out.

"Tell me!"

"I said I don't know!" This time she was cut on her face, from her brow all the way down to her jaw. She was asked questions again and again, and soon she was covered in cuts and her own blood. The wounds from Mount Weather had reopened and mingled with the wounds this woman had just given her.

"Obviously, cutting you open isn't working," the woman observed. "We need a new method."

The woman looked behind her, giving a silent signal to the man standing there. He pulled out some sort of stick, and moved towards Chandra. He flicked it on, and even though she was a couple feet away, she could hear the electricity crackling through it. She paled, trying to move away from the man as he inched closer to her. He pressed it to her bare back, and Chandra jolted as it touched her skin. It burned, and she felt her skin split from the attack. She let out a bloodcurdling scream that echoed throughout the camp.

"What are the grounders planning?" The woman asked again.

"I don't know!" Again, she was attacked with the electrical baton, this time multiple times.

The woman continued asking questions that Chandra didn't know the answer to, not giving her a chance to explain that she wasn't with the grounders.

"Please," she begged after a particularly heavy session. "Please, I don't know what the grounder army is planning, I'm not a warrior-"

"You're a liar," the woman hissed. "I was told that only the warriors knew English. If you weren't a warrior, we wouldn't be speaking right now."

"You call this speaking?" Chandra joked bitterly. "You think the grounders are so disgusting, but take a look at yourself." The blonde woman flared her nostrils. Electricity jolted through her once more. She bit her tongue, and blood filled her mouth. When the woman came towards her again to ask her a question, she spit it on her face.

"You and your people act so self righteous, but you're the intruders here," she growled. She didn't know where this was coming from, but her sudden flare of fierce anger kept her talking. "You're on _our_ land. We have a right to be angry."

The woman wiped the blood off of her face, giving Chandra a sadistic grin. "You'll pay for that, you savage."

"It's been hours," the woman said, feigning exhaustion. "Even I'm getting a little bored now. Why don't you just tell me what you know?"

"Because, you evil blonde bitch," Chandra spat, her eyes drooping and her legs struggling to keep her weight up. Even her words were slurred. "I don't know anything."

"I'm having a really tough time believing that."

Suddenly the tent flap was thrown open and Abby walked in. She grimaced at Chandra. "Has she said anything yet?" The blonde woman shook her head. Abby sighed. "It's been over a day, maybe she doesn't know anything."

"No, she definitely knows something," she insisted.

"We don't have time for this," Abby groaned. "We need to find my daughter and her friends. She's been gone for almost two days." Chandra instantly perked up. She was talking about Clarke.

"Fine," the woman agreed. "Give me a couple more hours and then I'll be done."

"What are we gonna do with her?" Abby's eyebrows furrowed.

The blonde woman glanced at Chandra and smirked. "Kill her."

"Please, just kill me," Chandra begged, her voice hoarse. Her entire body screamed in pain, not an inch was left unscathed. Blood was dripping into her eyes from multiple cuts on her face. Sweat dripped off of every inch of her body. "Let me die, please."

"Oh please," the woman mocked. "I still have an hour left. Then I'll kill you." Chandra shut her eyes. She'd screamed her throat raw. The electrical baton met her skin again, and Chandra opened her mouth. Only a hoarse squeak escaped her, her vocal cords were useless at this point.

"What the hell?" Chandra collapsed against her bindings as the baton was pulled away from her. She panted, barely managing to open her eyes. At the entrance of the tent stood a very familiar and very horrified blonde.

"Clarke, you shouldn't be in here-" Abby barged in after Clarke.

"Chandra?" Clarke's eyes widened in alarm.

"You know her?" The woman asked.

"Of course I know her," Clarke spat, rushing forward and cradling Chandra's face in her hands.

"Clarke," Chandra croaked out with a small smile. Tears began spilling over her cheeks. "You're here."

"I am," she reassured. "I'm here. You're okay. You're okay." She turned towards the blonde and the guard. "Untie her. Now!" She let herself fall against Clarke as her hands and feet were released. Her limbs were like rubber, and she didn't have the energy to cry out as her wounds were stretched.

"Mom, get her a stretcher," Clarke said. Abby left momentarily before returning with a stretcher and two other people. Clarke helped Chandra lay onto the stretcher, and Chandra felt herself being lifted by the two people Abby brought in. They carried her out of the tent, and Chandra couldn't put into words how grateful she was to be out of there. She could barely keep her eyes open as she was carried through the camp. Her eyes focused and unfocused, moving around aimlessly.

"Is that Chandra?" A voice called from somewhere to her right. Chandra's heart stopped as she recognized it. Bellamy. She turned her head, seeing the familiar boy sprint up beside the stretcher. "Oh, my God. What happened to her?" Chandra shut her eyes tight, facing the other way.

"You're not real," she breathed to herself. "You're not real. You're not real. You're not real."

"She was just tortured," Clarke was saying, but she sounded so far away. "They thought she was one of the grounders." There was a pause, and the only sound was Chandra's constant mumbling.

"What is she saying?" 'Bellamy' asked. Chandra vaguely registered Clarke leaning down near Chandra's mouth.

"'You're not real'? Mom, we need to get her medical care now. She's hysterical. Bellamy, you can see her later." The stretcher began moving quickly.

Chandra felt herself being set down on a hard surface, and she managed to open her eyes. Someone was shining light into her eyes.

"She's barely conscious."

"God, she's bleeding everywhere. We'll need to give her blood." A needle was inserted into her arm.

"Get me the disinfectant." Chandra screamed as her wounds were stung by a liquid.

"Hold her down!" Hands grabbed her shoulders and kept her from thrashing.

"Clarke, start sewing her up." Chandra screamed again as her cuts were stabbed and sewn together.

She must have passed out, because the next thing she knew, she was blinking against the lights above her. Her body was still screaming in pain, but the pain had been allayed considerably.

"Chandra? Are you awake?" Chandra turned her head to the side, where Clarke was sitting. She hummed in response. "How do you feel?"

"Like I just got tortured for over twenty-four hours," she croaked. Clarke let out a laugh that got choked in her throat. Chandra noticed her lip trembling.

"I thought you were dead," Clarke squeaked out. Chandra felt her own eyes well up with tears.

"Well here I am, better than ever." Clarke let out a choked laugh again. Chandra tried to sit up, but winced in pain.

"No, you should rest-"

"Rest, my ass," Chandra protested, sitting up anyway. "I'm not gonna sit here and be useless."

Clarke sighed. "Fine. It's not like you'll even listen to me anyway.

Chandra clicked her tongue. "You got that right. By the way, where were you? And where's Anya?"

Clarke bit her lip. "I was out looking for Finn, and Anya… Chandra, Anya's dead." Chandra's heart stopped. She looked at Clarke.

"What?" Clarke nodded.

"We made it to camp, I even got her to agree to a treaty but… our guards shot her. They almost shot me too." Chandra clenched her jaw.

"Em gonplei ste odon," Chandra whispered. _Her fight is over._

"Something else happened," Clarke went on. "Finn went to a grounder village to look for us, and, I don't know, I guess they startled him, and…" Clarke sighed. "He killed eighteen grounders." Chandra let out a mix between a gasp and a scoff of disbelief.

"Which village?" Her voice was low.

Clarke swallowed thickly. "Lincoln's." _Artigas'._

"Do you know the names of the dead?" Clarke shook her head. "Get Octavia. She would know better than anyone." Clarke nodded, and left quickly. Chandra took the time to drop her head into her hands. If Artigas was dead… Chandra's heart clenched at just the thought of it.

"Chandra!" She looked up at her name. Octavia rushed forward, pulling Chandra into a bonecrushing hug.

"Careful," Chandra groaned.

Octavia pulled away quickly. "Sorry."

"Give me a list of the dead," Chandra said, getting straight to the point. Octavia sobered, nodding.

"I don't know all of them, but I know some." Chandra nodded, urging her to go on. "Khalif, Umbri, Haru, Tulinda…" Chandra listened carefully, her eyes filling with tears. She knew these people. They were her childhood friends, her neighbors.

"...Artigas." Chandra's gaze snapped up the Octavia, who was glaring at the ground.

Chandra's heart dropped. She bit her lip as her face crumpled. Tears leaked steadily from her eyes and her head fell into her hands. Her body shook as she cried silently.

"How did you know Artigas?" Octavia's voice was soft.

"He was my friend," Chandra whispered. "He was my only friend, someone I grew up with. He was with my when my mother died, he helped me through the hardest times of my life."

"I met him once, a few days ago," Octavia said. "He seemed a great person." Chandra nodded.

"I want to sleep," Chandra said softly. Octavia nodded, patting her hand softly before she stood and left.

"I'll see you soon," Clarke reassured, and she, too, exited the room.

Chandra's head snapped up a few minutes later as she heard footsteps enter the room. Bellamy. Despite her wounds, she quickly jumped off of the table, scrambling to the far end of the room.

"Chandra," Bellamy said softly, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the girl's odd behavior. "I can't believe you're alive." Chandra flinched as he took a step closer.

"Stay away from me," she growled, shutting her eyes tight. "You're not real. You're not real. You're not real."

"What are you talking about?" Chandra let out a sob as she realized 'Bellamy' was still there. "Chandra, I'm real, I'm right here."

"No," Chandra choked out. "You're not real. You're dead. You're dead."

"No, I'm not," Bellamy cried, his voice cracking. "I'm right here!" Chandra covered her ears with her hands, trying to block his soothing voice from his ears.

"Get out of my head," she moaned. "_GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_" Hands wrapped around her, pulling gently her down to the ground.

"I'm not in your head," Bellamy insisted fiercely, pressing her to him as she sobbed. "I'm right here, I'm real, and I'm alive." Chandra sobbing decreased, and she lifted her tearstained face up towards Bellamy. She reached up, cradling his face in her small hands.

"You're real?" She asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're alive?" Bellamy nodded, and Chandra's began to cry again. "I thought you died. I thought you burned in the ring of fire."

"No, no," he reassured. "I got away. I'm here." Chandra wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him as close to her as possibly.

"I thought you were dead," she sobbed, as Bellamy rubbed her back soothingly. "I thought you were dead." Bellamy shushed her, closing his eyes as he sighed. He rocked her back and forth in his arms, whispering soft words of reassurance into her ear.

"I'm right here," he whispered, more to himself than to her. "I'm here, and I won't leave you again."

**AN: please please please review!**


	4. Co-Commander

Bellamy finally managed to calm Chandra down.

"Hey," he muttered, tenderly tucking her hair behind her ear before lifting her face by the chin. She looked up at him, her eyes swollen. "You okay?" She was still nestled into his chest, his arms wound tightly around her.

She sniffled, then nodded. She untangled herself from him, and instantly missed the warmth he provided. Regardless, he helped her to her feet. Bellamy blushed as he realized she was still wearing the dirty white clothes that bared her legs and most of her torso. He forced himself to look away, not sure how long he could take the wounds covering nearly every inch of her body. He spotted a pile of clothes in the corner, and Chandra recognized them as the clothes that she'd escaped Mount Whether in.

"Um," Bellamy started, grabbing the clothes from the ground. "Do you want me to get you something else to wear? These are grounder clothes-"

"And I'm a grounder," Chandra interrupted, grabbing the clothes from him. Bellamy raised an eyebrow, unsure of where the tight comment came from.

"Okay," he huffed. "I'll be right outside. Come out when you're ready." Chandra nodded, already turning around to get dressed.

She frowned, looking down at herself. Underneath all the bandages and the scars, black ink stood out against her dark skin; the swirling, sharp designs reminded her of who she really was. She was a tree person-Tri Kru. She grew up here, on this earth. One of the first sensations she ever remembered was the rich dirt between her toes, soft and welcoming. She may be half sky person, but she never even knew her father.

She traced the black lines with a thin, calloused finger. The stripes lining her ribs, the patterns on her thighs. Her upper arms had a handful of black bands tattooed around them. She knew her back, though out of her sight, was covered with tattoos. Patterns, words, images. She pulled on her clothes quickly, sliding the fur over her skin with ease.

Her favorite tattoos were the ones on her shoulders. Her mother's name, written in Trigedasleng was on her left. Her father's name just below it. On her right, Artigas' name. He'd done both of the tattoos. She bit her lip, her eyes watering at the memory.

"You ready?" Artigas sat behind a shirtless Chandra, who nodded.

"This is far from my first time getting a tattoo, Artigas," Chandra scoffed, pulling all of her thick black hair up and piling it on top of her head, giving Artigas easier access to her shoulders.

"Yeah, well, it's my first time giving someone one," he muttered, dipping the knife into the black ink. It was made by the Surma leaf, that, once crushed and added to water, was used for tattoos. It was also used in a paste form for war paint. It grew almost everywhere.

Chandra flinched as the blade sliced her skin, but she was used to it. "Relax. If you mess up, we can just draw over it. It's okay." Artigas didn't respond; instead he continued with his carving. Most of her body was already marked with tattoos, because she'd been a warrior for a little over two years. Artigas and Chandra had known each other for just as long.

"How do you spell 'Thindrel' again?" Chandra bit back a laugh, spelling it out for him. When translated into Trigedasleng, the spelling and pronunciation changed slightly, but the name was mostly the same. "These sky people have the weirdest names."

"They'd probably say the same thing about us," Chandra smiled. "You done?"

"No, not yet," Artigas told her. "Do you miss her? Your mother?" Chandra smiled sadly, looking down at her lap.

"I do," she admitted after a moment. "I barely see her any more, because I'm too busy training. And she's getting sicker by the day." Chandra swallowed, willing herself not to cry. "And the healers are too busy tending to the wounded on the battlefield." She felt Artigas' hands pull away from her shoulders and she took that as a sign that he'd finished. She spun around and faced him, exasperated.

"I mean," she went on. "What are we even supposed to be fighting for if our own people are dying because we don't have enough healers?" Artigas remained silent, his dark eyes piercing through hers.

"We'll figure it out," he reassured. "She'll be fine." Chandra sighed.

"Thanks," she said quietly, smiling at him. "You're a great friend. I think you were probably the best thing to ever happen to me." Artigas grinned. Then, he held up the blade, still dripping with black ink.

"I think we should get matching tattoos."

"Matching tattoos?" Artigas nodded. "Of what?"

"Just each other's names," he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Since we've been friends for a while. Plus we're both warriors so we have no idea what might happen out on the battlefield-" Chandra cut him off, her smile spread wide.

"That's a great idea," she said, handing him the bowl of black ink and turning back around. "Do it on my other shoulder." When the knife touched her skin, she didn't even flinch. She welcomed the feeling. Her best friend, brother, the most important person in her life, was right by her side. And she was happy.

"Chandra, you ready?" Chandra spun around, seeing Bellamy standing in the doorway. His eyebrows furrowed in concern, and she realized her face was soaked in tears. She wiped them away quickly, drying her hands on her clothes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she lied. Bellamy didn't believe her, but he decided not to push it. He nodded, stepping to the side to let her walk out before he did.

"Everyone's excited to see you," Bellamy told her as they walked through the camp. Everyone stared at her. She stuck out like a sore thumb in her grounder clothes, her skin covered in cuts and bruises. She refused to let it affect her though as she held her head high. "Monroe, Raven-"

"Did Sterling make it?" Chandra asked abruptly, cutting Bellamy off. "He didn't make it to the dropship, I'm assuming he's been with you the entire time?" Bellamy's face fell, and Chandra's stomach filled with dread.

"Chandra…" He trailed off. Chandra nodded, keeping her face emotionless.

"Was it painful?" She asked quietly, her voice monotonous. The image of Sterling falling hundreds of feet to his death, his face filled with blood curdling fear flashed through Bellamy's mind.

"No," he lied, forcing himself to smile slightly. "Not at all." Chandra's heart lifted a little, and she sighed.

"What were you saying?" She asked. "Before I interrupted you."

"Oh," Bellamy went on, glad that the topic of discussion had been changed. "I was just saying that everyone's excited to see you, because they all thought you were dead. Monroe, Raven, Murphy-"

"Murphy?" Chandra scoffed bitterly, a scowl painting her features. "That bastard just refuses to die. And why was he allowed back here? After what he did?"

"Chandra," Bellamy said, grabbing her shoulders to calm her. "Murphy… He's changed." Chandra rolled her eyes at that, but Bellamy went on. "He saved my life. He risked his own life to save mine. Trust me, he's changed." Chandra bit the inside of her cheek, searching Bellamy's eyes. He seemed to believe what he was saying.

"Fine," she ground out, and Bellamy smiled appreciatively. "I'll take your word for it."

"Good," he smiled. "Now it's your choice who you want to meet first, Raven's probably with Wick…" Chandra blocked him out as her eyes landed on something.

Finn.

He was being escorted by a couple of guards into the Ark, about thirty feet from where Chandra and Bellamy were standing. She suddenly saw red, and all she could think about was how he was the one responsible for Artigas' murder.

"Ripa," she growled. _Murderer._ She lunged forward, ignoring Bellamy's calls. She reached Finn in seconds, and with a roar, she grabbed him from the back of his jacket and slammed him onto the ground. The guards with him had no time to react as she straddled him on the ground, slamming her fist repeatedly onto his face.

"You killed him!" Her voice cracked with emotion as she kept punching. "You killed all of them! Eighteen people died by your hands, you murderer!" Strong arms grabbed her from behind and dragged her off of the boy, but she managed to break free and get one more punch at Finn until she was pulled off again.

"You murderer! I'll kill you!" She continued to spit curses at the boy, who was being helped up by a guard. The second guard held Chandra back, and in her weakened state, she couldn't fight him off. The adrenaline from her anger was wearing off quickly. "You killed him. You killed him." She sobbed, going limp against the guard holding her arms behind her.

"Get her into the Ark," a third guard, the same blonde woman who had tortured Chandra, said. "Tie her up."

"Yes, Major Byrne," the guard holding her said. Bellamy tried to protest, but was blocked from following them into the Ark. Finn was holding his hand to his nose, which was gushing blood as he was helped into the Ark behind Chandra. She didn't protest as they chained her to the wall. Her eyes were locked on Finn, who was avoiding her glare.

"I'll deal with you in a minute," Major Byrne said to Finn before turning to Chandra. "Now, do you want to explain to me why you assaulted this young boy?"

Chandra kept her gaze steady on Finn. Without missing a beat, she replied, "He's a murderer. He killed eighteen unarmed, innocent people."

"They were grounders-"

"They were human! Civilians!" She growled, yanking against her restraints. A couple of guards stepped forward, grabbing her by the shoulders and shoving her against the wall. "They were my family! My friends!"

"Break it up," Byrne groaned, seeming bored. She regarded Chandra with a nasty glare. "From my understanding, your people threw you out."

"Because I burnt down a village," she spat. "Because I helped the enemy, I helped the intruders. And I received my punishment." She scowled. "But this _bastard_ will get to walk free, and not even show any remorse." Finn didn't even seem shameful. He seemed annoyed, like he was in the right and Chandra was in the wrong.

"What the hell is going on?" Clarke rushed into the room, Abby right behind her. "Untie her!" Finn instantly perked up, taking a step towards Clarke. She didn't even look at him. In fact, she seemed to be looking anywhere but at him.

Byrne tried to argue. "She assaulted a teenager-"

"Because he _murdered_ eighteen of her people," Clarke hissed, getting in Byrne's face. "One of them being her best friend. I think a bit of anger is a fairly healthy reaction."

Meanwhile, Abby was examining Chandra. The young woman was staring at the ground in front of her, her jaw set and her eyes on fire. Abby frowned, glancing at her daughter, seeing the same fire in her eyes.

"Untie her," Abby ordered Byrne.

"But councillor-" Byrne started, but stopped abruptly as Abby's glare hardened. Byrne squared her jaw in annoyance as she bitterly clipped the metal wire around the girl's wrist. Chandra's face remained stoic as she stood, shoving past Byrne as she hastily exited.

"Chandra, wait!" Clarke called after her, but Chandra kept her pace steady. Clarke eventually caught up with her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Chandra spat out. If another person asked her that question, she might explode. She stopped, spinning to face Clarke. "I just need some time alone." She didn't let Clarke respond as she turned back around and began walking aimlessly.

She came to stop near the fence behind a tent. Expressionlessly, she sat on the ground and leaned her back against one of the pieces of wood holding the tent up. She stretched one leg in front of her, the other pulled up so she would rest her elbow on her knee. She absentmindedly picked up wood chips and other small rocks from the ground, tossing them at the fence and watching it spark with electricity.

"Chandra," her mother croaked from her bed. Her brown skin was unhealthily pale, and her beautiful green eyes sunk deep into her skull.

"Mama," Chandra greeted, her voice cracking as she took in the state her mother was in.

"You aren't due home for another week," she observed, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Chandra forced a smile, dropping her pack and kneeling beside her mother's bed. She smoothed her mother's hair from her forehead, trying not to flinch at how cold her skin felt.

"They let me off a little early because of the surplus of soldiers," she lied. The truth was that the healers finally decided on the amount of time Chandra's mother had left-a couple of hours at most. Indra took pity and gave her a day's break to say her last goodbyes.

"I've missed you so much," her mother cooed. Chandra tried to ignore the faraway, glazed look in her mother's eyes. "You always leave me…"

"I'm here now," Chandra whispered softly, grasping her mother's clammy hand. "I won't ever leave you again, I promise."

"You're just like your father," the older woman breathed. Suddenly, her body began racking with coughs, and Chandra helped her move onto her side. She wiped the blood from her mother's mouth with her own sleeve, rubbing her arm soothingly and easing her back into her place.

"Don't strain yourself," Chandra advised, lifting a wooden cup full of water to her mother's mouth. She took deep drinks, trying to ease her aching throat.

"You remind me so much of him," she went on, despite Chandra's advice. "You have his eyes. The same stubborn attitude." Chandra breathed out a laugh, tears leaking from her eyes.

Her smile fell as her mother's breathing became ragged.

"It's time," she gasped, closing her eyes. "I love you, Chandra…" Chandra's cheeks were soaked in tears and she choked out a sob. She grasped her mother's hand tightly, savoring every bit of warmth that ran through her veins. "Never forget who you are, my child." Chandra nodded ferociously, even though her mother couldn't see it through her closed eyes.

"The sky people will come," she choked out between gasps. "And when they do-do not make them your enemy."

"But most importantly," she went on, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do not lose yourself in the process." She didn't say anything after that.

Chandra's entire body shook as she sobbed, pressing her forehead against her mother's hand.

"Yu gonplei ste odon," she whispered, pulling the blanket to rest over her mother's lifeless face.

Chandra exited the tent. Outside, the morning birds chirped, and the sun rose steadily. The sunrise was the most beautiful of the year. Chandra nearly laughed at the irony of it.

"Chandra?" She barely responded to her name being called until hands shook her by her shoulders. She looked up, recognizing Artigas standing in front of her. "How is she?" Chandra didn't respond. Instead she shook her head. Artigas' lower lip trembled, but he held in his tears. He pulled Chandra roughly to his chest, and Chandra's arms coiled around him. She sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed into his shoulder, gripping his jacket tight enough to rip it. He held her the entire time, his own face streaked with tears.

Chandra was snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of a twig snapping behind her. She jumped onto her feet quickly, ready to attack.

"Woah, it's just me." Murphy held his hands up, letting Chandra know he wasn't a threat.

"Murphy," Chandra acknowledged, not moving from her defensive stance. He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Yep," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Everyone's been talking about how you're back and... I wanted to see for myself."

"Well you've seen me," she replied, her voice monotonous. "Now leave."

Murphy frowned. "And… I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize?" Chandra almost scoffed. "For what? Shooting me in the shoulder, almost killing Raven, hanging Bellamy…" Murphy flinched with each mention of his offenses. "The list goes on, but I'll spare you the embarrassment and myself the time." She moved to shove past him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She didn't pull away, despite her mind telling her to. A small part of her remembered the taste of his lips on hers. An even smaller part of her ached to taste them again.

"Chandra…" he paused, searching her face before finally landing on her eyes. "You can hate me for the rest of your life. I deserve it. But I just need you to know that words can't even begin to describe how sorry I am. For what I did. To you, to Bellamy, to the entire camp." Chandra took in his words, her eyes roaming over the wounds covering his face. Finally, she nodded, and pulled her arm from Murphy's hands.

"Okay," she whispered. "Okay, I forgive you-But, only for what you did to me. Everyone else who you've wronged… only they can decide if you're to be forgiven. But… I forgive you." Murphy nodded, a small smile gracing his lips. Chandra couldn't help but let the ends of her lips quirk up a little as well.

"Well, if you're done sulking around," Murphy began after a small pause. "How bout we go get a drink? I think you could use one." Chandra looked up at the sky, seeing the sun shining brightly.

"I think it's a little early to be drinking…" She caught the raised-eyebrow look on Murphy's face, and chuckled. "Okay, you're right. I could really use a drink."

"And the next thing I know," Murphy was saying, a half full cup in his hands, "I'm sitting there hitting two rocks together, being the _bait._" Chandra found herself giggling, her head feeling a little hazy from the alcohol. The image of Murphy crouching behind a tree with two stones and his usual pouty expression was a lot more hilarious than it would have been if she was completely sober. Her laughter died down as she realized Murphy was staring at her with slight smile.

She blushed, nervously touching her face. "Is there something on my face?" He shook his head.

"No," he said softly. "I'm just admiring how beautiful you look when you smile." Chandra's stomach did a flip, and she bit her lip. She met Murphy's eyes. She pulled her cup to her mouth and peered at him over the lip of it childishly. Chandra tried to take a sip from her cup, but sighed when she realized it was empty.

"I'll go get you some more," Murphy offered. He'd taken her cup and walked away before she'd had the chance to reply.

"Mind if we join you?" Chandra looked up at Clarke's voice. Behind her was Bellamy. Chandra shrugged, and Clarke took that as a yes. She sat across from her in Murphy's chair, and Bellamy pulled up a chair to sit beside Chandra.

"You feeling better?" He asked her.

"I guess," she replied. Bellamy's brow remained furrowed in concern, but he nodded.

"So tell me again," he said, turning to Clarke. "What's the plan?" Chandra narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"It's a labyrinth," Clarke said, pulling out a map. "We got to the dam through this tunnel." She pointed towards the map, and Chandra realized what it was a map of. The Mountain. Clarke was planning a way to get into it. "It's all connected to the mine system. That's our way in."

"Sure," Bellamy agreed sarcastically. "If we can get past the Reapers and the Mountain Men." He sighed. "I swear, if your mom doesn't sanction a mission soon, I'm going by myself."

"You won't be by yourself," Clarke assured. The two shared a look, and Chandra glanced between them. She grew uneasy, but internally shook her head. There was nothing going on between them, and even if there was, it made no difference to Chandra… right? Her thoughts were cut short as she caught sight of someone over Clarke's shoulder. Finn.

"Guess the inquisition's over," Bellamy guessed, keeping his eyes on Chandra. He grabbed her hand under the table, and Chandra instantly felt her anger deflate a little. "How's Finn doing, anyway?"

Clarke shrugged, looking down at her lap. "I haven't talked to him since we got back. I don't know what to say. He just kept shooting."

"We're at war, Clarke," Bellamy said softly, and Chandra's jaw almost dropped. Was he really defending Finn? "We've all done things." Chandra snatched her hand from his, jumping up from her seat.

"You sky people are all the same," she spat. She pointed at Finn's approaching figure. "What that murderer did can't be defended." She spun on her heels and stormed away, royally pissed off.

She had only taken a few steps when a commotion by the gates caught her attention.

"Grounder!" The frantic shout from someone sent Chandra off of her intended path and sprinting towards the gate. There was a ring of people around the gate a safe distance away, too afraid to move closer. Chandra shoved through the crowd of people, her small size making it easier. Once she'd gotten through the outer ring of people, she instantly recognized the grounder standing just outside of the gates, glaring at the guns pointed at her with distaste.

"Indra," Chandra breathed in disbelief.

"Stop!" She yelled at the guards who were preparing to shoot. "Don't shoot! Let her speak." The guards turned to Abby, who nodded.

Indra sent one last nasty look at the guards around her before turning towards Chandra.

"The commander wants to see you," she said simply.  
Chandra raised a brow. "Why?" Bellamy and Clarke emerged from the crowd at her right.

"What's going on?" Bellamy asked, but Chandra held up a hand to silence him.

"Artigas' left some of his belongings for you in his will," Indra explained, sounding bored if not mildly inconvenience by situation. "You must come and claim them." Chandra's turned to Bellamy and Clarke, who seemed uneasy.

"I have to go," she said. Clarke looked hesitant, her eyes taking in Indra's intimidating aura. Indra stared right back at her.

"It's not the best idea-" Chandra cut Clarke off.

"Clarke," she pleaded. "Let me at least fulfill my best friend's dying wish." Clarke turned to Abby, who looked like she was going to allow it. However, Byrne and a few other figures of authority protested.

"Abby," Byrne spat. "You can't be considering this."

"I am," she shot back. "And I'm letting her go." Byrne scoffed.

"When Kane comes back-"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Abby silenced Byrne. "But for now, this girl will get her chance to say goodbye to her friend. Now put your weapons down and let them go." If looks could kill, Byrne would have murdered Abby by now. Regardless, she motioned for the guards to put down their guns, which they did.

"Wait," Bellamy said as Chandra stepped towards Indra. "You can't go alone. I'll go with you." Chandra almost didn't want him to come.

"No way," Clarke argued. "It's way too dangerous and you're too important."

"I'll go too," Murphy said as he emerged from the dissipating crowd. Clarke shook her head.

"Chandra should go alone, it's her village and her friend-"

"They can come." The four stopped arguing when Indra spoke. "But no weapons."

"No," Clarke said. "It could be a trap."

"Deal," Bellamy agreed, ignoring Clarke. He looked at Murphy, who shrugged.

"Fine by me." Clarke frowned, defeated.

Chandra turned to Indra, offering her a smile which she didn't return. "Lead the way."

The walk to the village was silent. Chandra was deep in thought, wondering what Artigas left for her. One thing she knew for sure was that he left her his sword. It was a beautiful one, and Chandra used to compliment it daily. He'd made it himself. He'd told her if anything ever happened to him, she could have it, but she'd always cut the conversation short, saying that nothing would ever happen to him. The thought made her eyes water.

Bellamy was on edge the entire trip, despite being the one who agreed to the No Weapons rule. He was constantly looking over his shoulder, ready to fight out of whatever situation was thrown at him.

Murphy, on the other hand, seemed almost careless. He swaggered through the woods, taking in the plants and the view. Chandra knew better though; he was nervous. The only other times he'd been in a grounder village was when he was getting tortured, or Finn was killing a bunch of innocent people. She offered him a small smile when she noticed that his hands were shaking slightly, and he sent her a forced carefree smile back.

"We're here," Indra announced as the gates to the village came into view. Chandra took in a sharp breath at the familiarity. The village was bustling as warriors trained aggressively now that they had a new enemy.

Chandra walked right behind Indra, with Bellamy behind her at her right and Murphy mirroring his position. Heads turned as they were led to the commander's headquarters. Some expressions were angry, while some were confused. Chandra caught the eyes of a handful of warriors she recognized from her days of war. They were friends of Artigas'. They sent her sympathetic smiles, and Chandra was able to offer a nod of acknowledgement.

In front of her, Indra disappeared into a large tent right in the middle of the village, and Chandra followed. Behind her, Bellamy and Murphy wasted no time trailing after her.

The tent was the same one she used to visit Anya in. Chandra almost expected to see Anya sitting on the throne, but alas, she was wrong. In Anya's place was Lexa. Strangely, there was another throne beside Lexa's. She paid little attention to it, since it was the least of her problems at the moment. Chandra was comforted knowing that Anya's soul had been reincarnated into Lexa. Maybe that fact would cause Lexa to be kinder to Chandra. Bellamy and Murphy took a spot near the wall of the tent, standing alert.

"Commander Lexa," Chandra greeted, kneeling on her knee in front of the throne and lowering her head.

"Healer Chandramukhi," Lexa greeted back. Chandra lifted her head and stood on her feet again. "Despite the circumstances, it is nice to see you." Chandra had to force herself not to smile. "Let us not waste time. Bring out the items." Gustus, Lexa's second, came forth with a large pack and two other guards came forth with a small wooden table, setting it between Chandra and Lexa.

"He's left you quite a lot," Lexa commented. "I am aware of the close relationship between you and Artigas. And because he was a respected member of this community, I find it is our duty to fulfill his last wishes." Lexa nodded to Gustus who began unpacking the bag and listing off the items.

His fur cape. A handful of leather hair ties. His sword, with its sheath. A dried clay jar filled with the Surma plant. The knife he used to tattoo with. Two daggers. The actual bag that the things came in.

"We'd also like to give you this." Lexa held out her hand, and Chandra's throat closed up as she recognized what as in it. A lock of hair. Artigas' hair. She reached forward and took it, her eyes burning as she pocketed it.

"Thank you," she whispered, and Lexa nodded.

"There is one final thing," Lexa announced, standing up from her seat. She walked around the table, coming to a stop in front of Chandra. "Anya's dying wish also had to do with you." Chandra's eyes widened in surprise.

"Before she left to battle with the sky people," Lexa went on, "She wrote down her will. On it was a simple request: for you to be forgiven." Chandra was speechless, her heart jumping into her throat. "Not only that, but she wanted you to become my co-commander." Indra made a sound of disgust, which Lexa ignored. Chandra was having a hard time taking in this information.

"What?" She asked stupidly. Her voice was small, her eyes wide.

"It's your choice," Lexa offered. "You can either take this offer, or go back to the sky people. But once you decide, you may not go back. If you choose the sky people, you will forever be seen as a traitor and a disgrace." Chandra looked over Lexa's shoulder at Bellamy and Murphy, who were shaking their heads in disbelief. Chandra felt like crying with joy, however. She was being welcomed back home.

"If I take your offer," Chandra said after swallowing heavily, "Will my friends make it back to camp safely?" Lexa nodded.

"We will even arm them, if you wish. But once they leave, the animosity between their people and ours resumes." Chandra's throat felt incredibly dry as she looked between Lexa and her two friends. Slowly, keeping her eyes on the two, she nodded. Their faces fell, and she could almost see the disappointment in their eyes. Bellamy's expression went from broken to angry in seconds, and Chandra swallowed again.

"The decision's been made," Lexa announced. "Give the visitors a dagger each, and send them on their way." Chandra watched as Murphy and Bellamy were both handed weapons, and led from the tent.

"Can I see them off?" Chandra asked Lexa. Lexa seemed to be searching Chandra's face for something, before she nodded. Chandra quickly exited the tent, catching up with Bellamy and Murphy quickly as they were at the gates.

"Guys," she called, grabbing Bellamy's arm. "Please, you have to listen to me-"

"Did you ever even want to be with us?" Bellamy snapped, ripping his arm from her grasp. "Or did you just use us for somewhere to live because you had nowhere else to go?" He scoffed, and Chandra flinched. "You made everyone feel like you cared, but in the end, all you care about is yourself. Besides, all sky people are the same, right?" Chandra held back tears.

"Murphy," she tried, stepping towards the boy. He stepped away, and Chandra's hand grasped empty air. He refused to look at her as tears leaked down her face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Save it," Bellamy growled. "C'mon, Murphy. Let's go." Chandra watched them walk away from her, her heart breaking with each step. Had she made the wrong decision?

_No,_ she thought to herself. _I made the right decision._ She quickly wiped away her tears and decided she'd done enough crying. _Those were the people that killed Artigas. She was with her own people now._

She didn't have much time to dwell on it because she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, seeing Lexa behind her.

"Come, Healer Chandramukhi, we have much to do," Lexa beckoned, speaking in Trigedasleng now that there were no sky people around. "Or, should I say Commander Chandramukhi." Chandra forced a small smile.

"You can call me Chandra. Commander Chandramukhi is a bit of a mouthful."

"I will call you Chandramukhi." Chandra cocked her head in confusion, so Lexa elaborated. "Your name is a reminder of who you are. Do not simplify it for other people. Your identity is more important than the comfort of other people." Chandra nodded as she remembered her mother's similar advice. She studied Lexa's face, seeing wisdom beyond her years. "Now, Chandramukhi, as I was saying, we have much to do." She turned and began walking back into Tondc towards her tent. Chandra quickly moved so she was walking beside her.

"First," she began, "we must announce your return and it's circumstances to the people." She stopped once she was inside of the tent.

"Indra," she called. The woman looked away from Gustus, with whom she had been having a quite an animated conversation.

"Yes, commander?"

"Begin gathering the people for an announcement." Indra nodded, rushing from the tent. Lexa took a seat on one of the thrones, but Chandra hesitated.

The table was still there, covered in the items Artigas left for her. She bit her lip, trailing her fingertips over the items. She stopped when she reached the fur cape. Lexa had one, and while this one wasn't as extravagant, Chandra felt as if she should be wearing it. So she did. She pulled it off the table, dusting it off before she clasped it around her neck. It embraced her in warmth. Chandra welcomed the weight and the warmth; it reminded her of Artigas' arms. She grabbed the hair ties, putting them on her wrists. Next, she grabbed the daggers, strapping them to her belt. She lifted the sword next, weighing it in her hands before pulling the strap of its sheath over her neck so it was on her back. She examined her reflection in the shining metal of the sword briefly before sliding it into its sheath.

Lastly, she picked up the clay container of powdered Surma, pouring some onto her palm. She set the container down, glancing up at Lexa. The other girl was leaning on her elbow on the arm of her seat, resting her cheek on her knuckles. Chandra suddenly felt scrutinized under her gaze and looked away.

"I feel kind of naked without my face paint," she admitted out loud, her eyes on the powder in her palm. Between the thrones was a small table with a pitcher of water and two glasses of water. Chandra grabbed the water, pouring a few drops onto the powder to make a paste. She dipped her fingers into it, rubbing it around her right eye. She pulled the paint out towards her temple, three fingers spread slightly so a wing-like design was made. She repeated the movement with her other eye. She added a vertical line between her brows and on her chin, and finally, added two horizontal lines just below her cheekbones, making them seem sharper than they already were.

"How menacing do I look?" She asked Lexa jokingly, though the humor seemed kind of empty.

"Absolutely terrifying," she replied. Chandra breathed out a small laugh.

"Commander Lexa," Indra greeted as she entered the tent. She looked at Chandra with thinly veiled distaste. "Commander Chandramukhi." The two commanders nodded in response.

"Everyone is gathered for the announcement." The chatter right outside of the tent meant that Indra was right. Lexa looked at Chandra.

"Are you ready?"

Chandra sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be." Lexa smiled.

"Don't emerge from the tent until you're cued," Lexa advised as she approached the exit.

"What's my cue?"

"You'll know."

Chandra didn't know what that meant, but she nodded anyway. She heaved a breath as Lexa exited.

"People of Tondc," Lexa greeted, her voice booming. "Many of you are familiar with the story of Chandramukhi, and her offenses." A murmur rippled through the crowd, but was silenced as Lexa spoke again. "But I stand here today to tell you that she has been pardoned of her crime, and she has returned to Tondc." So far, no one had shouted out in protest, and for that Chandra was relieved. "Upon your former leader Anya's dying request, I present to you my co-leader, Commander Chandramukhi." Chandra took that as her cue and exited the tent. She stood beside Lexa, who offered her a small smile.

"You will regard her with the same amount of respect that you regard me and the leaders before me," Lexa announced. "Any threats to her safety will be taken seriously. Together, we will lead you all to victory." Lexa surprised Chandra by grabbing her hand. She pulled their clasped hands above their heads. The crowd roared, lifting their weapons above their heads. Apparently, their love for Anya and Lexa overrode whatever animosity that had towards Chandra.

Chandra found herself having to force a smile. She was home. Her people were inviting her back with open arms.

But she still felt as though there was a part of her that felt… _empty. _Unconsciously, she pulled Artigas' cloak closer around her.

**_AN: Sorry for the hiatus! I'm back though. Mid winder break is coming up and I've already had the next few chapters written, so I'll write the final chapters over break. Unfortunately, I will be ending this story at the end of season 2. Hope you guys enjoy it! Thanks for reading and dont forget to review._**


	5. The Treaty

The sun was setting between the trees as Indra and Chandra faced each other in the closed off section of Tondc intended for combat training. Both narrowed their eyes as they circled one another, their weapons drawn and defensive stances taken. Chandra gripped Artigas' sword tightly in her hand, and Indra had a sword of her own.

"Just because you're a commander does not mean I'll go easy on you," Indra warned lowly.

Chandra was quiet for a moment. Then, a sly smirk slowly crawled onto her face. "Good." With that one simple word, Chandra launched herself forward. She swung at Indra, who blocked her blow with her sword and sent her own back. Chandra deflected her attack. The two went back and forth for a few minutes, until Chandra managed to nick Indra on her shoulder. She grinned, feeling the adrenaline pump through her.

Suddenly, she felt her feet get kicked out from under her, and she was on her back. Her sword had been knocked from her hand and was now resting just out of her reach. The unwavering tip of another sword was inches from her face. Chandra felt herself go cross eyed as she tried to keep her gaze on it. Her eyes travelled slowly up the length of it before resting on Indra's smug face. Although defeated, Chandra still couldn't fight off a grin as she lazily knocked the sword away from her face with a gloved hand.

"I almost forgot how fun it was to train with you," she told Indra as she got back on her feet, who ignored her.

"Not too bad," she admired instead. "...For someone who hasn't fought in two years." Chandra rolled her eyes.

"But your technique is lazy," Indra continued. "Your posture is appalling. You need to find a balance between defensive and offensive-you seem to not think which one you should take. The answer lies within the technique of your opponent- pay more attention to their body language"

"But I was still good," Chandra protested, refusing to let the cocky grin slip off her face.

"Simply 'good' will not do," Indra snapped. She stepped closer to Chandra, her eyes burning into the younger girl's. Chandra clenched her jaw and swallowed roughly. "You are a leader now. You must learn to defend your life against all odds, and for that, you must not be 'good'. You must be the best." Chandra blinked, nodding. "Now pick up your sword and let's try again."

Hours later, Indra finally decided it was enough for the day. Chandra's body ached, and her wounds from her torture were joined by brand new wounds from her training. The sky was an inky black, and Tondc was illuminated by the moon and the torches that lined the pathways between tents.

Chandra dragged herself to the tent she and her co-commander shared. She gave a nod of acknowledgement to the men who stood guard at the doors before entering. More guards were inside, standing alert, and when they saw her, they gave her a salute. She nodded at them, then walked past them to the curtains hanging behind the thrones. She pulled the thick fabric aside stepping into the cozy room where her and Lexa were to sleep.

The last time Chandra had been back here had been with Anya. She shivered at the memories that came with it, trying to goosebumps that rose along her skin as if Anya was still here, running her fingers over her body. Nearly everything in the room was still the same except, instead of the furs scattered across the floor as a makeshift bed, there were two hammocks hanging on opposite sides of the room. Lexa was standing in front of one, shrugging off her armor.

"You're finally done training," Lexa observed as Chandra entered the room.

"I am," Chandra responded, moving to stand in front of the second hammock. She began unclasping her own armor. It had been supplied to her along with several different outfits made for combat. The two climbed into their respective hammocks. Chandra pulled Artigas' cloak over her, using it as a blanket.

She inhaled its scent, her eyes burning with fresh tears as she realized it still smelled like him. She could almost imagine it was him, holding her close and keeping her warm as she drifted off to sleep. Her throat closed up and she realized he would never be able to do that again. He was gone. Forever.

The death of her mother still caused her heart to ache, and the recent death of her best friend made it feel like her heart was being torn from her chest all over again.

"Lexa?" Chandra's voice was quiet, but it still seemed to fill the darkness. Lexa hummed back in response, sounding half asleep already.

"Does the pain ever go away?" Lexa remained quiet, so Chandra continued. "Losing Costia… does it still hurt?" The silence was almost deafening and Chandra almost thought Lexa had fallen asleep. But then Lexa finally spoke.

"No," was her reply. "It never stops hurting." Chandra closed her eyes, pressing her lips together to keep her tears at bay. She wasn't sure what answer she was expecting, but she knew that wasn't it.

"You just have to learn to block it out," Lexa continued. "Love… love is weakness. A great leader thinks with their mind, not their heart."

"No," Chandra disagreed quietly. "Love is not weakness. Love is something to fight for. Love is a reason to stay alive."

"Maybe Anya was wrong about you," Lexa snapped and Chandra recoiled. "Go to sleep. There is much to be done tomorrow."

Jaha and another man, Kane, were in Tondc. As prisoners, of course. They were being held underground, in an abandoned train station. Chandra was to play the role of a third prisoner, while Lexa was being herself; the commander.

She entered the small room they were held in with Gustus, Chandra, and two warriors right behind her.

"Chandra," Theloneus breathed, recognizing her instantly. Chandra didn't respond, staying quiet behind Gustus.

Lexa nodded to the warriors. They stepped forward, grabbed Theloneus and began to attack him relentlessly.

"We come in peace!" Kane held up his hands. "We come in peace!" Lexa held up her hand, and the warriors stopped their assault. They grabbed the man by his shoulders and heaved him up.

"Peace?" Lexa scoffed. "You speak of peace while you send an assassin into one of my villages." Chandra knew that Finn was not an assassin, but he had killed innocent people and at this point she didn't care.

"What are you talking about?" Kane asked breathlessly, still panicked from the attack on Jaha.

"Blood… must have blood," Lexa announced. She looked at Gustus, who pulled out a dagger from his belt and handed it to her.

"One of you will die here today," she said, throwing the knife on the ground. It landed in the middle of the floor, near Jaha's feet. "By the other's hand. I will hear the terms of your surrender from the man who lives." Then, she turned to Chandra and said in Trigedasleng, "Fetch us when it's done." She looked up as Lexa turned on her heels and exited, Gustus and the warriors hot on her heels. The door clanged shut behind them.

Chandra sat against the wall, facing away from the two men in the room with her.

"They want us to turn against each other," Thelonious said bitterly.

"They want justice," Chandra corrected quietly, capturing the attention of the two men.

"Lives have been lost on both sides," Kane argued angrily, pulling off his jacket. Chandra watched him throw it to the side with a growl, flinching at the sound it made as it hit the ground. "That's why we need to end this war!" It was silent for a moment, until Jaha stood up and walked over to Chandra slowly. Chandra, playing her part of a scared little girl, inched away from him. He crouched next to her and she avoided looking at her.

"Chandra," he said quietly. "Why are you here?"

"I was labelled a traitor," she half-lied.

"You already know me," he replied, nodding. "This is Marcus." Chandra nodded, acting as if this was new information. "Your commander… spoke of an assassin in a village?"

Chandra nodded. "Yes. Eighteen of our people were murdered." She had to force herself not to lash out in anger. "Elders… children."

"We have nothing to do with that," Kane ground out. Chandra was growing quite annoyed of him.

"It doesn't matter," she replied. "The commander thinks you did. One of you must pick up the knife… that is our way."

"And if we refuse?" Jaha asked. Chandra looked up at him, her eyes locking with his.

"Then the commander will use it to slit both of your throats."

The knife remained untouched on the floor hours later.

"There has to be another way," Thelonious pondered aloud, pacing. His voice was rough; over 2 days without water was taking its toll on him. Chandra herself was growing quite thirsty and hoped the ordeal would be over soon.

"Something we haven't thought of yet," he continued.

"There isn't," she said.

Kane sighed. "She's right. They're not budging."

Jaha crouched next to Kane, lowering his voice so Chandra didn't hear him. She heard him anyway. "We could offer a trade. These people are primitive." Chandra internally rolled her eyes at that. "Our technology, our medicine. All we'd ask for in return is peace."

"If we truly want peace," Kane whispered back, "they told us how to get it."

"Through murder?" Jaha asked incredulously.

Kane shook his head. "Through sacrifice." Chandra looked up at him for a second; he seemed to be true to his cause. He stood up, and picked up the knife.

"Marcus," Jaha said warily. "What are you doing?"

"If we don't make a choice," Kane replied, standing up and facing Jaha. "Then we'll both die. And the killing won't end." Chandra shifted her position, preparing to jump up at any second if Kane was about to do what she thought he was about to do-kill Jaha.

"There's only one way out of this," he continued, stepping closer to Jaha and backing him up into the wall. Chandra gripped the wall behind her. Any second now…

At the last second, Kane flipped the knife so the handle was towards Jaha. "You have to kill me." Chandra relaxed, but kept her eyes on the two. "You have to do this. It's our only choice."

"Kane, no."

"They respect strength," Kane insisted fiercely. "Let's show them ours."

"I said," Jaha growled, "_no_. You did not order the massacre."

"Not that one," Kane replied. Chandra didn't know exactly what they were talking about, but Kane's tone dripped with guilt and self-loathing. Was this his way of punishing himself? His bravery and morality was becoming quite apparent.

"Marcus," Jaha said. "You don't need redemption. The choice we made on the Ark was about survival. We did what we had to do so that the human race could survive."

"The human race was already surviving," Kane hissed back.

"Then we did it for our people!"

"Yes and now we must do this," Kane argued, silencing Jaha. "It's the only way."

"Not gonna happen," Jaha said.

"You're a good man, Thelonious," Kane went on, ignoring him. "I won't let you die for me." Before Jaha could register what he was doing, Kane stepped back and sliced the knife across his forearm.

"Marcus," Jaha cried. "No!" He tackled Kane to the floor, knocking the knife from his hands. Jaha tried to stem the blood flow, but simply holding his hand over it would not do. He looked up at Chandra pleadingly. "Please, help us." Chandra paused for a second, before reaching into her pack and pulling out a gauze. She stood up, crouching next to Kane as she tossed it to Jaha, who thanked her and wrapped up Kane's arm.

"I told you we didn't come all this way to die," he said to Kane as he finished wrapping his wound.

Chandra saw Jaha's attack before it came and could have easily blocked it, but she let it happen.

Jaha grabbed her and held the knife to her throat. Kane cried out in protest, but Jaha ignored him.

"I choose to live," Jaha panted.

At that moment, Lexa, Gustus, and the two warriors barged into the room.

"Take off these chains," Jaha ordered.

"Thelonious," Kane tried to reason with the man. "She's just an innocent girl." Chandra met Lexa's eyes and they shared a sly look. _Innocent? Oh, please._

"He's made his choice," Chandra announced in Trigedasleng. "This one's mine." She brought her elbow up into Jaha's stomach. He let go of her, bending over in pain. She flipped around, bringing her knee up to his face and then knocking his feet out from under him. He fell onto his back, and she pressed her knee into his solar plexus while holding the knife to his throat.

"Okay," he breathed, holding up his hands in surrender. She got off of him, ignoring Kane's look of disbelief. She stood next to Lexa, handing the knife to one of the warriors.

"I've heard what I needed to hear," she said to them in her native tongue. The warriors and Gustus bowed.

"Yes, commander." She stood still, letting the warriors drape her armor over her shoulders.

"You're the commander," Kane realized. Chandra and Lexa glanced at each other.

"Co commander," Chandra corrected, tying the armor closed. "Lexa and I lead as one." Chandra stepped forward, coming to a stop in front of Kane.

"I've learned much about you," she told him. "It's clear your intentions are honorable. Your desire for peace is true." She turned to Gustus. "Free him." Gustus did as she said, taking off Kane's chains.

"Later we will talk," she informed him. "In the meantime, your friend will be used to send a message." Kane's eyes widened as the warriors started to attack Jaha. They carried him out half conscious.

"The massacre must be answered," Chandra continued. "Blood must have blood."

The sun was rising in the horizon. The army stood outside Camp Jaha, silently waiting and watching.

A horn sounded. War drums beat. Torches were lit, one by one, until thousands of flames were dancing on the hills in front of the camp.

Lexa and Chandra sat in a tent near the army. They were in their armor, their faces decorated with war paint as they waited for Clarke to arrive. She would inform them if her people were leaving, or staying for the fight.

"She's here," Indra informed them from the entrance. She pulled back the curtains, and the familiar blonde entered.

"You're the one who burned three hundred of my warriors alive," Lexa observed the moment Clarke entered. Clarke swallowed.

"You're the one who sent them there to kill us," she replied. Chandra chuckled darkly, spinning a knife between her fingers. Clarke glanced at her.

"Do you have an answer, Clarke of the Sky People?" Chandra asked.

"I've come to make you an offer," Clarke told them.

"This is not a negotiation," Lexa snarked.

"Let me kill her and get it over with," Indra growled in Trigedasleng. Chandra smirked, but held her hand up to silence the woman.

"I can help you beat the Mountain Men," Clarke offered quickly. Chandra and Lexa met each other's eyes.

"Go on," Lexa urged, looking back at the girl. Chandra stopped playing with her knife, placing it on her lap. Clarke realized she had their attention.

"Hundreds of your people are trapped inside Mount Weather," Clarke explained. "Kept in cages. Their blood is used as medicine."

"How do you know this?" Lexa asked.

"Because I saw them. My people are prisoners there, too. I was one of them." Chandra didn't know if she should speak up.

"Lies," Indra said. "No one escapes the mountain."

"I did," Chandra interjected. Lexa and Indra looked at her in disbelief. "With Anya. And Clarke. We fought our way out together." She looked at Indra. "Anya did not die in the fire. She was killed by the sky people."

"Why did you never tell us this?" Lexa asked.

"It never came up." Lexa gave her a doubtful look.

"Chandra," Clarke said, capturing the girl's attention. "I'm not sure what relationship you and Anya had, but I'm sure she'd want you to have this." She reached into her pocket, and Indra and the guards all drew their weapons. Slowly, Clarke pulled her hand out. In her palm was a tuft of hair. Anya's.

"Before she died," Clarke continued. "She wanted me to tell you that she loved you." Chandra kept her face stoic, but her throat closed up. She took the hair from Clarke.

"We don't know it's hers," Indra argued.

"Shut up, Indra," Lexa ordered. The woman was livid, but kept her mouth shut.

"Anya was my mentor," Lexa continued. "Before I was called to lead my people."

"She died on her way to send a message to her people," Clarke said.

"What message?" Chandra asked.

"The only way to save both of our people is if we join together."

"Those who are about to die will say anything," Indra warned.

"I'm still waiting for an offer, Clarke," Lexa spat.

"The Mountain Men are turning your people into Reapers. I can turn them back."

"Impossible," Indra exclaimed. Then, in Trigedasleng, "Commanders I am begging you to let me kill her-"

"I've done it," Clarke interrupted her. "With Lincoln." Indra suddenly jumped from her spot, drawing her sword.

"Indra," Lexa warned. The woman ignored her, getting in Clarke's face.

"That traitor is the reason my village was slaughtered by your people-"

"Enough!" Chandra roared, standing up. Indra finally listened to her, reluctantly backing away from Clarke. Lexa stood up as well, sauntering towards Clarke.

"You say you can turn Reapers back into men?" Lexa asked.

Clarke swallowed. "Yes."

"Then prove it," Lexa hissed. "Show me Lincoln."

Clarke nodded. "Okay."

A small group of grounders followed Clarke through the woods.

Chandra's heart jerked as she realized that they'd arrived at the old camp. The familiarity of the crudely built wall and burnt remains of what was a bustling mini society rolled over her in waves.

The dropship came into view and a coldness sunk deep into her bones. She had so many memories in this camp. Her eyes flitted to the spot where she shared a kiss with Murphy. Where she first met Clarke. The spot where the tent used to be where she spoke to Jaha and he made her a citizen of the Ark. Her lip trembled as she locked her eyes on Clarke, refusing to give in to her emotions.

"In here," Clarke said, pushing past the curtains that hung at the door of the dropship. Chandra was the first to follow her. She led them up the ladder.

There were a handful of things she noticed within a split second of climbing into the top floor of the dropship.

The first thing was Octavia's crying.

The second thing was Bellamy. She met his eyes, and wanted to do nothing but pull him into her arms. Her heart fell when he looked away, a scowl on his face.

The third thing she noticed was Clarke's panicked look.

The fourth and last thing she noticed was Lincoln, lying on the floor. Dead.

"Clarke," she hissed, hearing Lexa and the rest approach. "They'll kill you. All of you." Her eyes widened as she frantically thought of ways to save her friends. "When the fight begins I'll try to hold them off but you need to _run_-" She was cut off when Lexa climbed the ladder. Indra followed, then Gustus. Chandra held her breath as Lexa realized that Lincoln was dead, and that Clarke had lied.

The suspense was heavy. Chandra could hear her heart pounding. She met Clarke's eyes, and nodded. Chandra reached for her sword, taking in the positions of the tree people around her, strategizing her attack.

"I'll kill them all!" Indra roared, pulling out her sword.

Within seconds, everyone had their weapons drawn. No one dared to make the first move. Chandra initially had her sword aimed at Lexa, but quickly moved it so it was aimed at Clarke instead, but could easily be swung at Lexa if need be.

"Please," Clarke begged. "You don't have to do this."

"You lied," Lexa growled. "And you're out of time." There was a pause. Clarke looked like she was about to give up; her eyes filled to the brim with tears.

Suddenly, Abby moved. She moved quickly, pressing her electric baton to Lincoln's chest. Lexa moved forward to attack, but Chandra stopped her.

"Just watch," she whispered.

Nothing happened when Abby pulled the baton away.

"Do it again," Clarke ordered. Abby did.

Chandra closed her eyes in relief as Lincoln took a deep breath, his eyes opening. Octavia collapsed at his side, tears leaking from her eyes.

Lexa looked at Clarke before sheathing her weapon. Chandra opened her eyes and immediately looked to Bellamy, who was staring back at her with an unreadable expression. The intensity of his gaze sent chills through her body, so she was the first to break the gaze.

Her heart swelled when she realized what a living breathing, non-reaper Lincoln meant.

The treaty was going to happen. Finally.


End file.
